Peace Science Made Accessible, Understandable, and Useful.

Minority Groups, Political Exclusion and Terrorism

￼Previous research has suggested that instead of turning to civil war, some groups resort to acts of terrorism due to lack of resources required to support an extended conflict. Terrorism is often used as a more cost-effective option.Similarly, this study goes deeper, exploring the relationship between excluding certain ethnic groups from political participation and their likelihood of using terrorism as a way to overcome their exclusion.

Terrorist movements often benefit from stable support networks when developed from a group of people with family, social, or cultural ties. The authors argue that the strength and reliability of ethnic bonds make terrorism a viable response, deemed legitimate when included civilians are viewed as complicit in their exclusion, and offer a more accessible and effective target.

The research team formulated the following hypothesis to help understand the relationship between politically marginalized ethnic groups and their likelihood of domestic terrorist activity:

Countries with larger populations of politically excluded ethnic groups will experience more casualties from domestic terrorism.

To conduct their study, the research team gathered information from 130 countries from 1981-2005 on the yearly domestic terrorist incidents per country and the yearly total of deaths due to terrorist incidents per country. They then compare this information with a global database measuring political exclusion of groups due to their ethnicity. In the case of this study, exclusion is represented by whether or not a particular ethnic group’s members are barred from service or representation in the executive branch of government.

The research team found political exclusion to be very important in predicting a country’s chance of experiencing domestic terrorism. The more citizens a country excludes on the basis of their ethnicity, the more prone the country is to terror attacks and consequently its citizens will suffer higher casualties due to the increased terrorist activity. For example, a country that excludes three quarters of their population is 80% more likely to experience terrorism than a country that excludes half of their population. The research also showed that the percentage of politically excluded ethnic populations was a more important predictor to domestic terrorism than a country’s total level of political participation, or the amount of economic discrimination faced by the same ethnic groups. Meaning exclusion from political power or representation is more important to ethnic groups than economic exclusion. Moreover, not the mere political participation forces ethnic groups to turn to terrorist acts, but rather the disqualification from participation.

Research on terrorism and its motivators are most often focused on social and economic factors. This research is very important due to authors’ success in introducing the importance of addressing political influences as well. Political exclusion on the basis of ethnicity fuels domestic terrorism. When people are excluded from government power or representation, they are more likely to resort to acts of terror to address or avenge their grievances.

Contemporary Relevance:

This research is particularly important to US post-9/11 counterterrorism policy. In 2005, President George W. Bush created the Millennium Challenge Account which provided development aid to help countries fight terrorism by addressing its political and economic root causes. In exchange for American aid packages, countries are required to engage in political reforms, create free-market economic policies and to fight corruption. However, a recipient country’s progress in addressing root causes of terrorism is based on 17 indicators—none of which measure political inclusiveness of ethnic minority groups. Considering the findings of this study – ethnic group political exclusion as a major influence in domestic terrorism – policies aimed at building inclusiveness could be a highly effective counterterrorism tool.

Talking Points

Political exclusion on the basis of ethnicity fuels domestic terrorism

A country’s proportion of the politically excluded ethnic populations is a more important predictor to domestic terrorism than the level of political participation or of economic discrimination.

When people are excluded from government power or representation, they are more likely to resort to acts of terror to address or avenge their grievances.

Practical Implications

Although this research found a direct link between political exclusion and increased terrorism, political participation was not a factor. Therefore, it is not the act of political participation that forces ethnic groups to turn to terrorist acts, but rather the disqualification from participation. Thus, this research predicts that terrorist activity won’t increase so long as ethnic groups have the option of political participation-regardless if they choose to or not. Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) is the current buzz-term in the field of peacebuilding. Adding the variable of political inclusion for ethnic groups is crucial for the complex strategies needed to address terrorism at its roots.

Popular Posts

01

02

03

Social

Testimonials

Erica Chenoweth, Ph.D.

The field of peace science has long suffered from a needless disconnect between current scholarship and relevant practice. The Peace Science Digest serves as a vital bridge. By regularly communicating cutting-edge peace research to a general audience, this publication promises to advance contemporary practice of peace and nonviolent action. I don’t know of any other outlet that has developed such an efficient forum for distilling the key insights from the latest scholarly innovations for anyone who wants to know more about this crucial subject. I won’t miss an issue.

-Erica Chenoweth: Professor, Associate Dean for Research at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver

David Cortright, Ph.D.

The Peace Science Digest is a valuable tool for translating scholarly research into practical conclusions in support of evidence-based approaches to preventing armed conflict.

-David Cortright: Director of Policy Studies at the Kroc Institute of International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

Ambassador John W. McDonald, ret.

This Magazine is where the academic field and the practitioners meet. It is the ideal source for the Talkers, the Writers and the Doers who need to inform and educate themselves about the fast growing field of Peace Science for War Prevention Initiatives!

Kelly Cambell

As a longtime peace activist, I’ve grown weary of the mainstream perception that peace is for dreamers. That’s why the Peace Science Digest is such as useful tool; it gives me easy access to the data and the science to make the case for peacebuilding and war prevention as both practical and possible. This is a wonderful new resource for all who seek peaceful solutions in the real world.

Michael Nagler

We must welcome the expansion of peace awareness into any and every area of our lives, in most of which it must supplant the domination of war and violence long established there. The long-overdue and much appreciated Digest is filling an important niche in that peace invasion. No longer will anyone be able to deny that peace is a science that can be studied and practiced.

-Michael Nagler: Founder and President, Metta Center for Nonviolence

Aubrey Fox

The Peace Science Digest is the right approach to an ever-present challenge: how do you get cutting-edge peace research that is often hidden in hard-to-access academic journals into the hands of a broader audience? With its attractive on-line format, easy to digest graphics and useful short summaries, the Peace Science Digest is a critically important tool for anyone who cares about peace as well as a delight to read.

Joseph Bock, Ph.D.

How many times are we asked about the effectiveness of alternatives to violent conflict? Reading Peace Science Digest offers a quick read on some of the best research focused on that important question. It offers talking points and summarizes practical implications. Readers are provided with clear, accessible explanations of theories and key concepts. It is a valuable resource for policy-makers, activists and scholars. It is a major step in filling the gap between research findings and application.

-Joseph Bock: International Conflict Management Program Associate Professor of International Conflict Management, Kennesaw State University

Eric Stoner

The distillation of the latest academic studies offered by the Peace Science Digest is not only an invaluable time-saving resource for scholars and policymakers concerned with preventing the next war, but for journalists and organizers on the front lines, who can put their findings to good use as they struggle to hold the powerful accountable and to build a more just and peaceful world.

-Eric Stoner: Co-founder and Editor, Waging Nonviolence

Mark Freeman

The Peace Science Digest is a major contribution to the peace and security field. It makes complex issues more understandable, enabling professional outfits like ours to be more effective in our global work. The Digest underscores that preventing war is about more than good intentions or power; it is also about transferable knowledge and science.

Maria J. Stephan, Ph.D.

The Digest is smartly organized, engaging, and provides a nice synthesis of key research on conflict, war, and peace with practical and policy relevance. The journal’s emphasis on “contemporary relevance”, “talking points” and “practical implications” is a breath of fresh air for those of us trying to bridge the academic-policy-practitioner divides. Highly recommended reading.

-Maria J. Stephan: Senior Advisor, United States Institute of Peace

David Swanson

Peace Science Digest is an invaluable tool for advocates for peace, as much as for educators. In it one quickly finds the talking points needed to persuade others, and the research to back those points up.